Illness occurs when the body loses balance. The same thing applies to cancer. When the immune system is weakened, the cell malignancies can occur. Therefore, some cancer researchers have begun to focus on improving immunity.
Cancer cells exist in every human body. When the abnormal cells start to grow, the immune cells will move to destroy it. In elderly people, people experiencing chronic stress or fatigue, and the immune compromised, the balance between cancer cells and immune cells disrupted. If the immune system weakens, the cancer cells will grow.
This is in line with the reality found in cancer management. Tumors by surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy does not guarantee the patient's recovery. There is always a risk of relapse for patients with low immunity.
The discovery of a number of drugs targeting the molecular level (molecular targeted drugs), among others, for lung cancer, breast, colorectal (colon and rectum), and liver, is shrinking the tumor tissue. However, therapy did not significantly prolong the patient's life. Drugs exist that cause severe side effects.
"We've tried as much as possible utilizing chemotherapy. Immunotherapy may be the last way to fight cancer, "said Herman Kattlove, Medical Editor of the American Cancer Society (the American Cancer Society), as quoted in the book published by the Cancer Immunotherapy Fuda Cancer Hospital in 2008.
Immunotherapy The new strategy
Immunotherapy is a new strategy against cancer. Basic theory, cancer is a systemic disease. Tumors were detected are part of a systemic disease. Therefore, treatment is not only directed at the tumor site was found, but more fundamental, namely strengthening the body's defenses. Tumors will not grow in a healthy body and has a strong defense. By improving and enhancing the immune system, is expected to halt the growth of cancer cells. Thus, the patient can live longer and quality of life increased because pain-free and recurrence.
Of course, the tumor needs to be turned off. Therefore, immunotherapy combined with other therapies, such as cryo surgery (surgery with tissue freezing), local chemotherapy, and other therapies are needed.
Fuda Cancer Hospital in Guangzhou, China, is one of RS is applying this therapy. According to Prof. Xu Kecheng, president of Fuda Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, since 1991, the hospital team treated more than 10,000 patients with advanced cancer. As many as 70 percent of patients with inoperable tumors, they also have not progressed with chemotherapy or radiation. After receiving the combination therapy at Fuda Hospital, approximately 70 percent of patients experienced significant progress. In survival time (survival time) could be extended. A number of liver and lung cancer patients with advanced life until 5-9 years later. In fact, advanced stage patients with other cancers live up to 10-15 years.
"Immunotherapy is very good for preventing metastasis (spread of cancer) and relapse, slow the growth of cancer, improve public health, and boost the immune system after slumped as a side effect of chemotherapy," said Xu, gastroenterology and oncology expert who was a visiting professor of several universities in China , Japan, and the United States.
Runsheng Prof. Ruan, biology and nanotechnology engineering researchers who long worked in cancer research centers in Switzerland and Singapore are now working at Fuda Hospital, adds, weak patient's immune response against cancer cell growth is a major cause of disease severity. Helpful immunotherapy for the treatment of all malignancies. Through induction and stimulation of immune cells, treatment was successfully eradicate and suppress the growth of cancer cells. Cancer can occur in various organs, including the lungs, liver, pancreas, stomach, colon, breast, bladder eggs, kidney, brain, lymph nodes, and leukemia.
Immunotherapy is itself a combination of the use of T cells (T-cells), dendritic cell vaccines (DC), cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, cytokines, interfering vaccine (MV), as well as modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine to boost immunity.
T cells are part of the white blood of patients who have a defense capability and activity eradicate cancer cells. T cells taken from the patient's body, selected a nice, and reproduced. The result is inserted back into the patient to boost immunity and eradicate cancer cells. The dendritic cell function and the process shows that the tumor antigen is suppressed by the immune system. In cancer patients, in addition to weakened immune, dendritic cells do not mature normally disabled or is unable to mark the bully body substances. Mixed vaccine is used to boost immunity. Similarly CIK cells, which is a mixture of gamma interferon, anti-CD3, interleukin-2 and interleukin-1 beta, as well as cytokines, such as interleukin 2, interferon, or thymosin 1 The traditional Chinese medicine used to support the therapy, such as an appetite enhancer and improve health.
The procedure is carried out, said Xu, 60-80 ml of patient's blood is taken to isolate the required cell (T cells and dendritic cells) to be propagated. On the same day, 0.5-1.5 ml of a mixed vaccine is injected under the skin near the tumor area. The mixture is injected vaccine every week for three weeks, interrupted a break for two weeks. The same is done on the injection of 0.5-1 ml of cytokines, such as interleukin 2 Once copied, T cells and dendritic cells inserted into the patient on days 8-12. "Dendritic cells and T cells should be taken from the patient's blood. If not enough, the T cells can be obtained from the blood of others, "said Xu.
Immunotherapy prolong life
The result, Xu said one of the cases, the patient Tang (59), patients with sinus melanoma (cancer of the nose). He was operated on at a hospital in Shanghai end of 1991 followed by radiotherapy, but the results are less satisfactory. March 1992, Tang admitted to the hospital and get an injection Fuda interfering anticancer vaccine every week for 6 months. When the vaccine is given gradually reduced to once a month. Total vaccine is 8 years and 2 months. With immuno therapy, Tang survived until 2004.
Based on the research of Fuda Hospital, Xu explained, of 38 patients with advanced cancer were given immunotherapy and followed since 1995, there are 26 people living up to 15 years.
Related side effects, according to Xu, has so far not found serious. Unlike chemotherapy which can cause hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and damage to vital organs, immunotherapy of side effects depends on the condition of the patient. Usually include fever a few hours. The patient will feel cold and flu-like symptoms, such as headaches, back pain, and nausea. Another thing, pain and swelling at the tumor at the injection site. However, all that can be resolved without taking additional medication.
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